He apologises when I wince at the stinging feeling as the water hits my wounds. Once I'm fully immersed in the water I let out a shaky breathe and Ryder's eyes move nervously over me. The stinging feeling lasts for only a few seconds before the warmth and scents relax my stiff muscles. Ryder sits on the floor beside me, one arm lent on the edge of the bath tub. He just sits there smiling at me before someone knocks on the door. Quickly he stands up and returns with a tray of my food and instantly my stomach rumbled seeing it. Chuckling Ryder pulled the stool over and placed the tray down beside me. Leaning forward I start to make my chip sandwich, trying not to blush as Ryder removes his shorts and slips into the water behind me. Ryder's hands moved over my hips and to my stomach before he pulled them back again. Savouring the first few bites of my food I settle back against Ryder's chest, welcoming the previously lost connection between us. Slowly placing more chips onto another piece of bread, I ask one of the questions I've wanted to know since I first woke up. "Did you hurt Travis?" His hands tightened around my waist, gripping me more securely as I bought up the man that took me away from him. "I didn't hurt him. You for some reason didn't want me to and if it was the last thing you ever asked me to do, I didn't want to betray it. He is no longer part of the royal guard however." "He was trying to save his mate Ryder. You did everything to get me back and he did the same thing." Ryder looked away from me, his eyes flicking to the ceiling. He didn't want to admit that I was right but he knew that I was. Turning back he raises his eyebrows at me. "He betrayed his kingdom. He risked your life." When he noticed that I wasn't happy with his words he sighed deeply and loosened his touch a little. "He can work his way up again if he wants." "What about everything else?" The last time, I could make sense of the time was yesterday morning, before Travis had drugged me and from what George had told me he had planned to execute a lot in the time from then to when I woke up. This time his eyes moved down. "We lost a few wolves. No one expected their numbers was that large but luckily we had the other alphas and their fighters. We would have lost a lot more if we hadn't." "Do you think he'll come back?" I ask him as I pick up a chip dipping it into the sauce. "He?" Ryder asked me. "Did someone in particular hurt you?" There was an undertone to his voice that told me he already knew who did it. "George." I whisper, saying his name makes me as nervous as what Henry's does. Ryder growls and I slip lightly and he has to steady me. "I'm sorry. His brother is the Alpha of the biggest and strongest pack in Jordena but he thought he deserved the title more." He froze as if a thought just came to him. "He lost his mate in a fight with his brothers' pack." The warmth of his palm flattening out and running across my stomach should have calmed me but instead I was freaking out. I didn't want him to know what George's plans were but I was stupid to think that Ryder wouldn't ask why my stomach and chest were clear of any cuts. "Lottie, he didn't do anything else to you did he?" his voice was tense. No matter what I answered I knew that he would be angry with my answer either way. "He didn't do anything. He said he wanted his own heir though and that my genes would make it strong, he didn't want to risk hurting me." When tears fell from my eyes Ryder shook his head at me both of his arms wrapping around my stomach, he's knees pulling up so I was encased in his hold. He took a shaky breath before I feel his lips gently press against the back of my head. "Don't cry. Please don't cry. It kills me inside when you cry." He whispers against my hair before he moves closer to my ear. "Sorry for the language but he's a fücking, asšhole, prïck. Even more so than that other guy that hurt you and the next time you see him will be when I have him, lying dead at your feet." Dropping my hands over his I grip them tightly. "I don't want to see that but it's the thought that counts. Thank you." Ryder chuckles, his lips pressing to my mark and I shudder lightly at the feeling. "And you didn't even have to bat your eyelashes." Laughing lightly, I sink further into his touch, just wanting him to hold me now. His hands massaged my skin helping it to pull back together. Once the water turns cold he lifts me out of the bathtub, placing me back down on the stool in a thick towel while he wrapped my limbs back up. I don't want him to do it but he told me if they got infected they'd take longer to heal. "He can't even get me pregnant can he?" We were back in his old bed now and I was just wearing a shirt of his and my underwear. Ryder told me he had to leave to talk to the other Alpha's but I pulled him down into the bed with me. I could see that he needed sleep. There were deep bags under his eyes and he was moving slower than what I was used to. "No," He growled, his arm tightening around me. "There is one way, but I'd have to be dead and he would have to do a lot that you don't need to know about." A slight shake took over my body and I nuzzled in further to Ryder's body. Even though I doubted that George would ever be able to hurt Ryder, the thought of ever carrying someone other than Ryder's child scared me.